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I recently decided to set down and try to figure out how I have come up with extra cash in the past without having to work extra hours, take on a second job, or partake in any other laborious activity which eluded into my personal time. So I came up with some pretty interesting things and here are five of them:

1. SAVE YOUR CHANGE

Since I was young I have always put all my loose change in a jar and when I thought I had enough, I would go cash it in and buy a toy. Well, I still do that to this day. Yes, banks pay interest and all that good stuff, but there is just something "childlike" about having a piggy bank and that loose change adds up fast. I usually save all my change for one year and then buy something. Last year, I purchased my wife a laptop computer with our spare change. This year, we payed for our vacation theme park tickets in Orlando, FL with our loose change. Of course, we take it to the bank first for them to sort it. Vendors really don't like for you to hand them $900 in quarters.

2. STOP EATING OUT SO MUCH

You know you do. There really isn't much to say other than the fact that high fuel cost is driving up the prices for everything, including dining out. Yes, groceries are going up too, but it is still much less expensive to eat four bologna sandwiches then it is to get that combo at the fast food joint.

3. RECYCLE

I am a firm believer in recycling and you can make some extra cash doing it. Check your bottles, plastic containers, and so forth to see if you live in a state that will actually pay you to recycle them. Also, always recycle your cans. I recently took our cans to the recycling center where they paid me $0.78 per pound and I walked away with a $47.00 check!

4. HAVE A YARD SALE

This is kind of like work, but yard sales can actually be quite fun. Just go around your house and pile up all the stuff you know you don't want. Place an ad in your local paper (many papers let you place yard sale ads for free), and then set up and sell. Remember, don't give your stuff away for pennies. Typically, if your clothes are in good shape, charge 1/3 or 1/4 of what you paid. Don't sell anything for less than a quarter. Your time isn't worth it.

5. BUDGET YOUR MONEY

I really cannot emphasize this enough, but if you spend your money on paper before you actually spend it in real life, then you will know where every dime is going. I have a great 21 page guide that will actually show you a cool postcard system that my wife and I came up with to effectively budget our money. You can get it from my personal website.

Justin V. Cecil, MBA

PERSONAL BLOG: http://www.peskydebt.net/

MY COMPANY: http://www.MyUnionJournal.com/

Paying too much for coverage and not having enough coverage may be a familiar scenario for many of the residents in America. Not many health insurance companies offer policies with coverage that will give you dental, eye and alternative care. Americans are spending over $30 billion annually just for dental services and most of it is out of their own pocket. The prices for dental care can be very horrid, ranging between $850 to $1,000 for crowns, $150 for check-ups and cleaning and thousands of dollars for oral surgery.

Most of the dental plans available are expensive - the reason being that the insurance companies know that the individuals who purchase dental coverage already have dental problems and will definitely be using the coverage. This is also known as "adverse selection".

Another option is available today with the HSA, or Health Savings Account. This is an account that you can use to accumulate tax-free dollars for medical bills that aren't covered under your High Deductible Health Plan, or HDHP. It is required that you are enrolled in a HDHP to qualify for an HSA. These plans have high annual deductibles, but you receive low monthly premiums in exchange. Since the money in the HSA is tax-free, the account holder can funnel their dental expenses through the HSA for a tax write-off.

If you decide to get a health plan with dental coverage, the deductible cannot be paid for with the HSA, but the expenses rendered from services can. Since you'll be funding your account with pre-tax dollars, you can easily save $500 or more off the costs of your family's yearly dental expenses by paying for the charges from your Health Savings Account.

There are some other options for dental coverage available. With prepaid dental plans you will be charged low monthly fees, which are usually around $7/month for individuals and $16/month for families. The plans give you significant discounts on check-ups, fillings, extractions and other dental services provided by a network dentist. Some plans help with the expenses for eyeglasses and contact lenses. Since these plans aren't insurance, it can be paid for with the HSA. When calculating what medical expenses will be reimbursed from your HSA, include dental fees and premiums from the prepaid dental plan.

More About Health Savings Accounts

Any health expenses that aren't covered under you HDHP can be paid for with your HSA, such as deductibles, eyewear and dental care. As long as the bill you are trying to cover was needed for a health problem, it can be paid for. So if you decided to get a massage while at the spa - this wouldn't be covered, but if your doctor recommended that you go to a masseuse after a painful accident; this would be covered. Having an HSA is the way health insurance should be - you get to choose what medical help you receive for your health conditions.

This means if you decide to get alternative medicine instead of going to an allopathic physician (conventional doctors that use prescriptions drugs and other treatments for quick-fixes instead of delving to the root of the problem), you can do so and have the expenses paid with the HSA.

What is Considered an "HSA Qualified Expense"?

The definition of qualified medical expenses is only partially given in the IRS Publication 502 and through various federal court rulings. There are few restrictions - as long as the expenses are for medical treatments or prevention for a health problem. For instance, yoga wouldn't be identified as a medical expense unless your doctor recommended it as a treatment for medical reasons, such as for physical therapy after an injury, then it is qualified as a medical expense.

Many may question why the government would give a tax deduction for someone using some crazy vibration machine to cure their cancer. Again, the HSA is how health insurance should be. You should get to choose what treatments would best benefit your health condition. This gives account holders that power to manage their health as they see fit. Health Savings Accounts are encouraging individuals to take personal responsibility of their health care while loosening the monopoly traditional health care has had over the past couple of decades.

By Wiley Long - President, HSA for America (http://www.health--savings--accounts.com) - The nation's leading independent health insurance firm specializing in HSA Plans that works with a Health Savings Account.

I recently decided to set down and try to figure out how I have come up with extra cash in the past without having to work extra hours, take on a second job, or partake in any other laborious activity which eluded into my personal time. So I came up with some pretty interesting things and here are five of them:

1. SAVE YOUR CHANGE

Since I was young I have always put all my loose change in a jar and when I thought I had enough, I would go cash it in and buy a toy. Well, I still do that to this day. Yes, banks pay interest and all that good stuff, but there is just something "childlike" about having a piggy bank and that loose change adds up fast. I usually save all my change for one year and then buy something. Last year, I purchased my wife a laptop computer with our spare change. This year, we payed for our vacation theme park tickets in Orlando, FL with our loose change. Of course, we take it to the bank first for them to sort it. Vendors really don't like for you to hand them $900 in quarters.

2. STOP EATING OUT SO MUCH

You know you do. There really isn't much to say other than the fact that high fuel cost is driving up the prices for everything, including dining out. Yes, groceries are going up too, but it is still much less expensive to eat four bologna sandwiches then it is to get that combo at the fast food joint.

3. RECYCLE

I am a firm believer in recycling and you can make some extra cash doing it. Check your bottles, plastic containers, and so forth to see if you live in a state that will actually pay you to recycle them. Also, always recycle your cans. I recently took our cans to the recycling center where they paid me $0.78 per pound and I walked away with a $47.00 check!

4. HAVE A YARD SALE

This is kind of like work, but yard sales can actually be quite fun. Just go around your house and pile up all the stuff you know you don't want. Place an ad in your local paper (many papers let you place yard sale ads for free), and then set up and sell. Remember, don't give your stuff away for pennies. Typically, if your clothes are in good shape, charge 1/3 or 1/4 of what you paid. Don't sell anything for less than a quarter. Your time isn't worth it.

5. BUDGET YOUR MONEY

I really cannot emphasize this enough, but if you spend your money on paper before you actually spend it in real life, then you will know where every dime is going. I have a great 21 page guide that will actually show you a cool postcard system that my wife and I came up with to effectively budget our money. You can get it from my personal website.

Justin V. Cecil, MBA

PERSONAL BLOG: http://www.peskydebt.net/

MY COMPANY: http://www.MyUnionJournal.com/